Furnace-charging apparatus.



UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. LEWIS, OE BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF FIVE-SIXTHS TO MICHAEL KILLEEN, OF BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ALBION P. AIKEN, OF PORT PERRY,

PENNSYLVANIA.

FuRNAcE-CHARGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,877, dated J' une 2, 1903.

Application filed February 15, 1902. SerialNo. 94,200. (No model.)

To @ZZ .whom t may concern.- p

Be it knownthat I, JOHN F. LEWIS, of Braddock, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Furnace- Charging Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the ligure is a vertical central section of a blast-furnace top provided with myimproved device, the walls of the furnace being shown in dotted lines.

In the operation of blast-furnaces it is of the greatest importance that the charge should be evenly distributed properly within the furnace. It' it is distributedimproperly, especially if the fine material of the charge is permitted to accumulate next to the furnace-wall, it is apt to cake and to cause slips in the furnace, which are dangerous and interfere with the regularity of operation.

The purpose of my invention is to prevent the uneven distribution of the charge within the blast-furnace; and to this end it consists in combining with t-he charging bell and hopper of a furnace a skirt or deiiector, which extends below the bell and preferably to a point above the lowest position of the bell and which will cause the material discharged from the bell to be deliected inwardly to some extent.

In the drawing, 2 is the charging-hopper of a furnace, and 3 is the bell, having a lifting-rod 4. 'lhe bell and hopper may be of any suitable construction. These parts are operated in the usual way, the charge being introduced into the hopper around the bell and then discharged into the furnace by lowering the bell.

5 is a skirt or detlector which extends downoutwardly. In each casethe deflector is proportioned according to the size of the bell and furnace-chamber. When the stock. is discharged from the hopper by lowering the bell, it is directed outwardly by the inclined sides of the bell, but will strike the inner surface of the skirt and will thus be dropped intermediately between the center and sides of the furnace-chamber, and the highest point of the charge will lie in the intermediate zone containing the liner portions. This distribution of the charge is the one most favorable to the proper operation of the furnace. By moving the bell below the lower end of thedeliector I am enabled to discharge lumps which would otherwise become jammed between the bell and deiector.-

'The advantages of myinvention result from the perfect distribution of stock and the preventing of hanging and slipping of the charge. A larger percentage of fine ores may be used,

and the briekwork is protected. The gas-chan nels are kept open and back pressure greatly reduced. A saving of fuel is eifected, and the invention can be easily applied to any style of furnace-top. The stock-line is of course kept below the level of the lower end of the deiiector.

Within the scope of my claim the deiiector may converge either inwardly or outwardly, and other variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the deiiector without departing from my invention.

I claim- A blast-furnace having a charging-hopper with inwardly and downwardly converging sides, a bell arranged to close the lower end of the hopper, an annular deliector supported on and extending down from the hopper within the furnace-chamber, said deiiector having converging sides with an annular space between it and the furnace-stack, and mechanism for moving the bell downwardly to a level below the lower end of the deflector to allow passage of lumps; substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my hand. 1 JNO. F. LEWIS. Witnesses:

H. M. CORWIN, GEO. B. BLEMING. 

